Perennial herb with creeping rhizomes, each ending in one or a few erect stems up to 50 cm. high, occasionally up to 1 m., usually unbranched, pubescent in the upper part.. Leaves restricted to the uppermost part of the erect stems; stipules slightly dimorphic, those of the extant leaf slightly shorter and wider than those of the reduced leaf, glabrescent, brownish, transparent when dry, often with traces of 2 midnerves, stipule of reduced leaf linear–lanceolate, (5–)6–9(–12) mm. long, long-acuminate with filiform apex; petiole absent or rarely up to 0.5 cm. long; lamina obliquely and broadly obovate to elliptic, (3.5–)7–12(–14) cm. long, proximal half 0.8–1.5 cm. wide, distal half 1–2.5 cm. wide, base asymmetrically cuneate or the distal side subcordate, margin serrate on the distal side, with (12–) 16–22 teeth, on the proximal side fewer, apex acute to acuminate; prominent lateral nerves 5–6 on the distal side, 3–4 on the proximal side, basal lateral nerve on distal side reaching less than half through the length of the lamina; upper surface of lamina usually glabrous, occasionally with a few scattered stiff hairs, numerous linear cystoliths clearly visible from above, at least in dried material, lower surface pubescent to strigose on the nerves.. Male and ♀ inflorescences frequently on the same shoot, axillary, sessile or subsessile; ♂ inflorescences up to 1.5 cm. in diameter, bracts broadly ovate, 3–5 mm. wide, acute to acuminate, ciliate, bracteoles lanceolate, ciliate, ±1 mm. wide; ♀ inflorescences 1–1.2 cm. in diameter, with numerous flowers, bracts lanceolate, 1–2 mm. wide, ciliate, bracteoles linear-lanceolate, densely pilose, which gives the entire ♀ inflorescence a greyish appearance.. Male flowers on pedicels ± 2 mm. long; perianth ±1.5 mm. in diameter, 4-merous, tepals glabrescent, with a ± 1 mm. long subapical appendage.. Female flowers on short pedicels, elongating during or after anthesis; perianth reduced to 3–4 small ciliate lobes, ovary ± 0.8 mm. long, with penicillate stigma; staminodal scales ± as long as achene.. Achene ± 1 mm. long on pedicels, ± 1 mm. long, pale brown, smooth or with faint, interrupted longitudinal sculpturing or longitudinal lines.. Fig. 10/B.
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Leaves restricted to the upper half of the stem, subsessile; lamina asymmetrical, up to 15 x 6 cm., obliquely elliptic to ovate; apex acuminate; base oblique (distal half auriculate or subcordate, proximal half cuneate); margin serrate; upper surface of lamina dark green and glabrous or with a few scattered hairs, lower surface paler green and pubescent on the nerves, lateral nerves anastomosing on each side of the midnerve, 5–6 on distal side, 3–4 on proximal side.
Male inflorescences up to 1.5 cm. in diam., surrounded by broadly ovate bracts, up to 5 x 5 mm.; flowers on pedicels up to 2 mm. long, perianth up to 2 mm. in diam., 4-merous, each tepal with a long subapical appendix, stamens in the same number as the tepals.
Female inflorescences about as large as the male ones, disk-shaped or lobed, surrounded by bracts almost as large as those in the male inflorescences; flowers on pedicels 1–2 mm. long, 3-merous, with a reduced perianth and large staminodes.
Inflorescences usually unisexual, often male and female on the same shoot, sessile.
Annual or perennial herbs up to c. 40(100) cm. tall from creeping rhizomes.
Achenes shortly stalked, up to 1 mm. long, with many longitudinal ridges.
Stems usually unbranched, glabrous or somewhat pubescent.
Stipules linear, 8–12 mm. long.
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